TUCSON — The Pima Community College men's and women's basketball teams both earned No. 4 seeds in the NJCAA Division II Tournament Tuesday, following back-to-back region championship wins over the weekend.
The men's team, now 32-0, punched their ticket to the tournament after securing their third straight Region Championship at home Saturday.
Despite the undefeated record, head coach Brian Peabody said the seeding wasn't exactly what the team had hoped for.
"I thought we'd move up a little bit… a couple of teams lost in front of us and we kept winning, but we didn't move. We've been down this road before...we'll play whoever they put in front of us," Peabody said.
The Aztecs earned a first-round bye with the No. 4 seed.
The 2024-2025 season tournament run ended in a semifinal loss to Parkland College, and veteran sophomores Mason Hunt, Isaac Johnson and Brock Mendoza have made sure their teammates haven't forgotten it.
"They've been preaching all year long. This is the moment that we've been preparing for...the national tournament, and they don't let these guys sleep and it's like every day we come in, we do the same routine," Peabody said. "I think it means more when it comes from a player and not me. So when they're telling them what to do, what to expect, I think they take it to heart."
Freshman and Player of the Year Isaiah Hill has been a key addition to the roster this season, and Peabody said his impact goes beyond scoring.
"We're really good defensively, starting with Isaiah Hill. You know, he got Player of the Year and partly because he's a really, really good defender. And so I think the rest of our guys kind of feed off him," Peabody said.
The women's team also secured a No. 4 seed after winning their Region Championship on Friday. Head coach Todd Holthaus said the team is peaking at the right time.
"I'm super excited… we're playing our best basketball right now, we're healthy, and that's why you come to Pima… to play for a national championship," Holthaus said.
But the longtime coach made it clear that simply making the tournament isn't the goal.
"Let's not be happy just to be here… let's make sure we're here to win the whole thing," Holthaus said.
The women's team will play next Tuesday at 7 a.m. MST in Hickory, North Carolina, and the men's team will play next Tuesday at 8 a.m. MST in Danville, Illinois.
